Line control and gear shift for tractors



Dec. 26, 1922. 1,439,759

F. M REEVES. Lms CONTROL AND GEAR SHIFT FOR TRACTORS.

FILED Nov. 12. 1921. 2 SHEETSSHEET I Dec. 26, 1922. 1,439,759

' F. M. REEVES.

LINE CONTROL AND GEAR SHIFT FOR TRACTORS- FILED Nov. 12, 1921. 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Patented Dec. 26, 1922 vs1 stars-s rnancIs M. nnnvns, or TINA, MISSOURI.

LINE CONTROL-AND enAn sHIrr FOB rnAcrons. I I

Application'filed November 12, 1921. seal No. 514,764.-

To all whom 1325 may concern Be it known that I, Framers M. Enema-a citizen of the United States, residing at Tina, in the county of-Carroll and State of Missouri, have invented certain new, and..-

useful Improvements in Line Controls and Gear Shifts for Tractors, of whiohthe following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

. The present invention has for its purpose the provision of a llnecontrolled, shaft'for. v tractors, particularly Fordsons, whereby they may be controlled from} atpoi'nt .remotely to the rear ofthe tractor, for instance from a point on a cultivator, binder mower, plow, disc harrow, wagon or any other implement, to operate at the rear of the tractor, wherebythe machine or farnifl ing implement at the rear may be controlled, and also the tractor maybe controlled by asingle operator. M

Another purposeis the provision of at tachments for the steering wheel, clutch lever and gear shift lever, including lines or cables, which .may be easily and very quickly folded or tied up or otherwise arranged on the tractor, when detached from the machine,- such as a cultivator or the'like .at the rear, enablingthe operator to assume a position on the seat of the tractor, and drive to the "house from the field or other place quicker than itis possible to unhitch a team and drive to thehouse from the field.

Still anotherpurpose involves the provision of attachments for the gearshift and clutch levers to the steering apparatus,

'whereby thejtractor may be under absolute control .and can turn at any angle. v

A further purpose is'the provision of attachments of this character, which can be cheaply manufactured and installed, and which when applied are eflioient, and prac-.

tical in construction...

A still further purpose consists in a cable or line so connected with the gear shift.

lever, so" that the leve can be operatedfrom second gear to low gear, and vice. versa,- ;or I the levershifted laterallyto a-position, sol 1 that by means of the samecable orthe like, be shifted from the gear shift lever may high gear to second gear, 9

'Additionally the invention aims to providea cable or the like means-for tilting the. clutch lever, in. combination wan-i catch or latch for holding the clutch lever in its actuated-position,sothat by pullingupon a cable or line the catch can-be released, permitting the clutch lever to re turnto itsinitial operating geared position. 1 Alsoit is theaim to provide a lever connected to the rocking shaft (which is normally actuated by, the steering wheel), so

that by means of a cable operatively con i nected to the lever, the lever may tilt back: ward and forward, to rock said shaft, which in turn actuates a drag linkand steers the front wheelsof the tractor. I

present illustrated and set forth are deemed preferable, it is, obvious that as a result. of

a reduction of the invention to a more prac- While the design and construction at tic-al form for commercial purposes, the in-;.

vention may be susceptible of, changes, and the right to thesechanges is claimed, provided they are comprehended within the scopeof what is claimed. i

The invention comprises further features and combination of. parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed," 1 V In the drawings F Figure 1 is a view in side larly showing the attachment for the steer ing'; mechanism,' and also showing the attachment for the gear shiftlever, illustrat ing in dotted lines the. attachment for the clutch lever; I

Figure2 is a'iview in side elevationof :attachment for the clutch lever; i

,liioure 7 showsra bracket for sup tin ithelinesy I U Referring. I designates a .tractor, which is provided, with a rock shaft Qhaving at oneend anarm 3, which is connected tothe usualdrag link 4:, which re '6vis anenlarged detail view of elevation of v the Fordson tractor, showing the improved. control apparatus applied, more particuthe opposite side of a tractor showing the F'gure 3 is a plan view ofthe tr'actorf D'peratively connects with the steering arm eh f ont. Wh lswhe eb when-th 100 the holding means for therack. barfwhich V the shaft is rocked in one direction or the other, the front Wheels may turn to the right or the left.

s and fastened upon the arm 'S', immediately Where it merges into the rock shaft 2,

by means of the U-bolts 9. A lever is secured to the part 8 of the c nsti'ngo by meansany other implement at the rear of the tractor, so that the cable or rope may be pulled. in feet the rope or cable is endless,-

und its loop portion engages over the pulleys l3 and 14, in such n manner as to prevent it disengage);- therefrom. It is obvious that by moving first one side and then the other of the cable, the lever 10 may be tilted beckwnrdly end forwardly, so as to rock the shaft 2, ivhieh in turn will import movement to the drag link h'end thence to the front Wheels, through the medium of the steering arm. i

Secured to the clutch lever 15 (which is ordinarily actuated by foot power) is a clamp 16, towhieh a, ratchet toothed bar 17 is pivotally connected; it bracket 18 is secured to-the daslnend its lateral arm is provided With forks 19, between Which the ratchet toothed bin operatively engages. The'dogi 20 is pivoted between the ends of the forks, whereby its-nose 21 may operatively engage any one of the teeth of the bar 17, so as to move it in different ndjust'edpositi( 'ns,*ivhen the eluteh lever is tilted. spring is connected to the dog, and in +1 turn connected at 23 to the bracket, to hold the dog normally 'in engagement with the teeth of the bar. A spring 24 is connected 3 to the lowerpart of the bar 17, and its upper end is also connected at 23, serving to hold in) the clutch lever in its normal upper positroetor a considerable distance, say for instance a. point on a. plow or disc barrow or other implement or Wagon, where it is convenientto be grasped by an operator, so that the clutch may be controlled from :1 distance remote from the clutch mechanism. Vi hen the cable or line is pulled, and the clutch lever operated, the dog it) holds the clutch lever in its actuated position. However when it is desired to release the clutch, and allow the clutch lever to return to its normal. position under the action of the spring 24:, n. pulling zietion may be imported upon the cable or line 29 (which is zitta ehed to the (log 20), so as to disengage the nose of the dot: 'lroni the teeth of the bar 17; The release of the doQQO Will-make it possible for the elutch spring; (not shown and supple inented by the spring to thrwr the clutch into driving engagement. The action of the spring will also litter return the clutch lever to its initial position.

The gear shift lever oi 2t Fordson tractor hes live positions,neutral, high, low, interinediet and reverse, so therefore it is the aim to shift the gear shift lever 30, when the tractor is operating in it held, from second gear to low gear, by pulling uponn rope, cable or line, and when the tractor is trzivelin; on a road, it is the aim to shift the. lever '30 from high to second gear, by pulling upon the other side of the rope.

For instance the guide bar 31 is mounted uponthe dosh 32. to. which a pulley 33 is slidiibly connected, so as to be shifted side- Wise. The pulleyis designed to be held near one end orfthe other of the guide bar by means of pins 3%, which pass through the bar. A cable, rope "orlin'e 35 is connected at 36 to the gear shift lever 30; One side ot theline, cablegro i'e or the like 35 extends reorwztrdl'y, whiletheother side extends forwerdly'nml over the pulley 33, and then renrivardly. In fact when the cable is applied, it is endless, so obviously when one side of thece-ble or line 35 is pulled, the other side of the cable (:orrespondingly moves, therefore the gear shift lever is tilted, say

for instance forwardly. I When the other tion. Secured by suitable'bo'lts '25to' the lateral foot engaging portion of the clutch leveris th'e le teral portion 26 0f an arni 27, 'Whiche'Xtends in a, plane substantially. parso allel to and the seine direction with the lever 15, '2Lnd terminates at a point beyond the fulcrum of "the clutch lever. Obviously b'y means-0ttheeeble; rope or cord 28 which is attached to the extremity of theelrm 27,

H p "1; 27' end "the clutch lever be rocked, thereby actuating the clut eh, "and when so stumped, theb er 17 win move down- '\va1'd,: gnciuneughithe ihe'diurh of tn; dog' itis 'hefldihel downward position. The

line or cable '28 extends from the sideof the cable or line is pulled ,.th'e gear shift lever is moved renriverdly. @bviousl'yin order tooperate the gear shift lever for field vvork, the pulley 3:3 is moved to the left, and by ineens of one of the pins 34Ethe p'ulley33 is held in 211' position to the left, in whicli'cztse the gear shift lever may be moved backwardly and forwardly, for field wo'rlgin other woidsfor shitting-from second gear to low gear and vice verse. Qneot the pins 34 is used for holding the pulley 33 ate position to the right, and in this" case thegear shift lever 301mg; be shifted from high gettr to second gedr end'viee verse; for roeid Work.

The ealble or line '35, and theother lines'or cib'lespasst-hrough snitalblerings or eyes 37,

ice

ll'O.

which constitute part of a bracket 38, so as to prevent the lines or cables from sagging.

Obviously from the above description in connection with the drawings, an operator may be seated upon a cultivator, plow or llitl'lO'W, Wagon or other farming implement at the rear or" the tractor, and control the tractor with as much ease and accuracy, as When occupying the seat on the tractor, and at the same time enabling the operator to control the farming implement, so that it may perform the workwhichlit is intended to accomplish. v

The invent-ion having been set forth, What is claimed is l. The combination with a tractor including a clutch lever,ot an arm attached to the clutch lever and ternnnating at a point beyond its fulcrum, a cable attached to the extremity of said arm for actuating jsaid clutch lever, holding means 'for the clutch lever comprising a'ratchet bar operatively connected to the clutch lever, adog engaging the teeth of said bar to hold the bar and the clutch lever depressed and the clutch lever out of: gear, and means for returning said clutch lever to its initial position when the clutch lever to its initial nected to the clutch lever, a spring tensioned dog engaging the teeth of said bar to hold the bar actuated and the clutch lever depressed, means connected to the dog andterminating at a point remote from the tractor and being manually actuated for actuating the dog to disengage its noseffrom the teeth of said bar, thereby releasing it and permitting the clutch lever 13011101 6 into driving engagement, and means for returning "the position when the holding means is released.

3. Incombination with a tractor having gear shitting means and steering controlling means remote from the tractor, an arm secured to the clutch lever of the tractor,

means remote from and connected to the arm for depressing the clutch lever and moving the clutch out of gear, a rack pivotally connected, to the clutch lever, a holding guide for said rack, said, holding guide being mounted upon the stationary part of the tractor, a dog pivotally mounted on the hold ing guide for engaging with the teeth of the rack, to hold the clutch lever depressed, means remote from and operatively 0011- nected With the dog for releasing its nose When in engagement With the teeth of the rack, and a spring connecting for holding guide and the rack, acting to raise the rack when the spring of the clutch operates to throw the clutch into driving engagement.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

FRANCIS M. REEVES. 

